


Bad Reputation

by blakefancier



Series: female!Howard series [1]
Category: Captain America (2011)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-04
Updated: 2012-01-04
Packaged: 2017-10-28 22:51:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/313050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blakefancier/pseuds/blakefancier
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Howard Antonia Stark hates wearing dresses, but she loves fucking with people. And fucking people. She sets her sights on one Captain Steven Rogers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bad Reputation

**Author's Note:**

> In this story, Howard is female. She's always been female. it's not my fault. If you want to blame anyone, blame my partner-in-crime. I will happily forward any kudos her way. :D
> 
> Yeah, this will probably end up being a fucking series.

Howard Stark hated dresses, she fucking hated them. You couldn’t work in a dress, not without offending *someone.* She knew, she’s tried. You had to be prim and proper when you were wearing a dress and she was not a prim and proper gal. She never had been, much to her mother’s chagrin.

Still, she was wearing a dress to this meeting. It was Obadiah’s suggestion.

“Let’s turn the military on their ear, Howie,” he said. “Let’s turn their brains to mush.”

And as much as she hated dresses, she loved screwing with the top brass.

So she met them wearing a pretty little summer dress in mint green with these sandals that hurt her feet. It was completely inappropriate and she didn't give a damn.

Of course, she hadn’t expected *him*: a six foot two, blond-haired, blue-eyed god.

“Captain Steve Rogers,” he said, shaking her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss…”

“Stark, Howard Stark.” She gave him a firm handshake and a flirty smile.

“Howard…” He frowned in confusion and she smiled.

“My father *really* wanted a boy,” she said and looked up at him from under her eyelashes.

“Oh.” He smiled at her, then, almost shyly and, fuck, if he kept that up, her panties would be soaked by the end of the meeting. "It's nice to meet you, ma'am."

"Please, I'm much too young for you to ma'am me, soldier." She took his arm when he offered and gave him a smile that made him blush. Oh, how absolutely adorable.

*****

After the meeting, the very boring meeting, she walked over to where Captain Rogers was sitting and perched on the table, her ankles crossed.

He blushed and looked at her with startled eyes. "Ma'am? I mean, Miss Stark?"

She tilted her head and smiled. "You can call me Howard, you know."

"I don't want to be forward, Miss Stark." He swallowed hard and clasped his hands.

"Oh, I wish you would." She reached over and touched his cheek. "Have dinner with me on Friday, Captain Rogers."

"M-Miss Stark?" he squeaked out and blinked at her.

"Howard."

Captain Rogers licked his lips and blinked at her. "Um… I…"

"Say yes," she said, "please?"

"Y-Yes." He was flustered and his face was bright red.

"Good." Howard hopped off the table. "I'll pick you up at seven. Do you live on base, Captain?"

Captain Rogers nodded at her.

"See you then." Then she walked out, feeling quite smug.

*****

Captain Rogers—no, *Steve*, this was a date after all— was standing at the curb when she pulled up in the Buggati. God, he looked absolutely delectable in dress uniform, shiny and… virginal. It made her mouth water. She rolled down the passenger-side window and looked at him.

"Going my way, handsome?"

"Um…" Steve blushed prettily and thrust a bouquet of flowers through the window.

"Wildflowers?" she said, surprised, taking the bouquet. "How did you know I—"

"I called your office and asked your secretary." He fumbled with the handle of the door before getting it open and climbing in. "You look… That's a… a very nice suit."

There was an awkwardness in his tone that made her bristle. "Do you have a problem with me wearing a suit, Captain?"

"No!" he said, his face turning red. "No, it's… it's nice. Very, very nice."

She clenched her jaw and raised an eyebrow.

Steve stared down at his hands, which were clenched in his lap. "It's just… You have beautiful knees."

"Wh—What?!" For a moment she couldn’t speak; she's had men compliment her breasts, thighs, ass, and eyes, but… "You… like my knees?"

"Yes," he mumbled and she found herself blushing.

Dammit, she hadn't blushed since she was thirteen. "Oh. Thank you."

He looked up at her and gave her a shy smile.

"Next time. I'll wear a dress next time," she found herself promising, because, who could ignore a smile like that.

His cheeks flushed pink and he looked away. "Where are we going?"

"Fondue," she said, pulling away from the curb. There was a silence, one of those weighty silences that always happened when she did something particularly stupid or offensive. She glanced at him and he was just staring at her, eyes wide with… surprise? What that surprise? "Oh, God, please don't tell me you're one of those vegans who don't touch anything that's been part of an animal. You are! Fuck, I can't believe I'm dating a vegan!"

"No," he said, laughing softly. "No, I… fondue is fine. It's just cheese and bread, right?" Then he laughed again and shook his head. "Fondue."

"You're a weird guy," she replied.

"And you, Stark, are predictable."

"What? I am not!"

He laughed all the way to the restaurant and Howard told herself that she wasn't miffed.

*****

Steve opened the door for her and pulled out her chair when they were seated. Then he looked at her, very earnestly and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have laughed at you."

Howard waved away the apology and smiled. "Not to worry, Captain. You can make it up to me later."

And there it was, his ears turned red and he swallowed hard. God, she wanted to straddle his hips and ride him like a horse.

"So," he said, clearing his throat. "Tell me about yourself."

She snorted at that. "Pick up a newspaper. Hell, google my name."

"I don't want to hear rumors and lies." He reached over and touched her hand. "I want to get to know you. Please."

And, oh, God, he was so earnest, the kind of earnest she learned to be wary of because it wasn't real. Except, she suspected that Steve didn't know how to be not-real.

She was an idiot because, while she didn't tell him everything, she told him too much.

*****

"You gonna invite me in?" she asked as they pulled up to the curb.

He smiled at her, took her hand, and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles. "I wouldn't disrespect you that way."

And she nodded, as if being invited up for sex was a bad thing; obviously, Steve had short-circuited her brain.

"Maybe we could do this again?" he said, his tongue tripping on the words. "We could… go dancing? Maybe I could even pay for dinner."

She laughed, remembering the pained look on his face as she tugged the bill from his hand and insisted she pay. "Yes, all right. I haven't gone dancing in months."

"I'll call your office to make the arrangements. Goodnight, Howard." He kissed her hand once more, then climbed out of the car. "Call me when you get home."

"Sure." She shook her head in disbelief; she didn't know they still made men like her grandfather.

It wasn't until after she crawled into bed with her laptop that she realized, she still didn't know a damn thing about him. "Oh, it's on, Rogers. It is on."


End file.
